A New Chapter in the “Star Wars” Galaxy
They haven’t blown up a Death Star or taken down an Empire yet. Still, the “Star Wars” galaxy seems to be in pretty safe hands with Pedro Pascal and Baby Yoda. It’s been seven years since the last “Star Wars” movie in a theater, “The Rise of Skywalker,” which botched the ending of a four-decade, nine-movie saga. Fortunately, director Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu” doesn’t embarrass fans or itself, bringing Pascal’s armored gunslinger and his adorable green apprentice from their Disney+ show to the big screen. It’s an enjoyable throwback romp with plenty of action and weird creatures to overcome its weaknesses.
The Adventures of Din Djarin and Grogu
Din Djarin (Pascal), aka the Mando, is a Mandalorian bounty hunter who almost never takes off his helmet and has adopted Grogu, a youngster who’s been trained in the Force by none other than Luke Skywalker. Set after the fall of the Empire in “Return of the Jedi,” the new movie finds them working for the New Republic and going after old Imperial warlords, including a James Bond-esque cold open where the unlikely father/son duo take down a bunch of huge AT-AT walkers and a slew of Snowtroopers.
They sort of bungle the mission, though, which doesn’t please their boss, Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver). But Mando has done enough good thus far to earn having his signature ship, The Razor Crest, repaired (it got blown up in “The Mandalorian” Season 2) and a new assignment. Mando and Grogu need to meet up with the gangster Hutts to rescue Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), Jabba the Hutt’s son, and get key info about a high-profile Imperial no one’s ever seen.
A Journey with New Friends
Mando and Grogu befriend Rotta, a buff gladiator slug who’s nothing like his dad, and when Mando gets in a spot of trouble with the Hutts and their droid army, Grogu joins up with some mechanically inclined (and equally cute) Anzellans to help save his protector.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” does seem like a streamlined season of the Mando series, but it also doesn’t try anything too complicated or overdeliver. It’s a straightforward pulp adventure with beasts right out of an old Ray Harryhausen flick and many “Star Wars” callbacks, while also maintaining the show’s neo-Western vibe. The Mando flick also dares to be a little different from what’s come before: Not that anyone was asking for a “Star Wars” movie with opening credits, but Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson crafts interesting ‘80s-style synth sounds to accompany Mando’s spurs jangling at night through a bustling city.
A Film That Understands Its Audience
Favreau knows his audience well. Mando forcibly has his helmet removed for a time to satiate all the Pascal faithful, and if it’s unclear from all the merch and Burger King meals, Grogu is the galaxy’s hottest asset and best special effect. Yes, he’s lovable and precocious with those big eyes and expressive face, always looking to pilfer some space cookies, but in a lengthy part of the movie, Grogu is given the spotlight to explore the movie’s deeper themes of found family and responsibility.
Oddly, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” doesn’t have a lot of human beings in it. (And there’s not nearly enough Weaver.) While Mando takes out a ton of enemies “John Wick” style – mostly baddies in armor or robots – the film too quickly leaves behind the interesting narrative of Imperial remnants trying to start an intergalactic ruckus.
Even though a lot of the aliens and creatures look nifty, the Hutts are a drawback from a visual perspective – which isn’t great considering that Rotta is a main supporting player. They’re unrealistic digital creations compared to Jabba the Hutt, a marvel of puppetry in “Return of the Jedi,” who still holds up 43 years later.
Then again, there’s an excitable alien fry cook voiced by, yes, Martin Scorsese, who’s one of the coolest personalities in the whole movie. “The Mandalorian and Grogu” embraces the bizarre and the adorable alike to create a “Star Wars” outing that at times harkens back to more glorious past efforts. In a franchise that seems to be readjusting, Mando and Grogu offer up some snackies and a new hope.
